Prisoner reentry is the process by which prisoners who have been released return to the community. Many types of programs have been implemented with the goal of reducing recidivism and have been found to be effective for this purpose.
Consideration of a criminal record must be job-specific and justified , with a presumption that the criminal record is irrelevant. Current Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidelines recommend only considering the criminal record after a hiring decision has been made and only when the record itself is closely related to the job. Research suggests that many employers are unaware of these guidelines, necessitating greater education and enforcement. Ban-the-box laws, perhaps the most common policy to counter criminal record stigma in employment, have been shown to increase racial discrimination.
Regional businesses are facing one of the most challenging hiring markets in decades. With unemployment in the region at historic lows, finding quality employees is difficult. Within the decade, as the massive baby boomer generation begins to retire and fewer skilled workers are available to replace them, companies will face a labor shortage of dramatic proportions, which makes finding innovative sources of employees important. The term “reentry” describes individuals returning to the community from jail or prison.
The stigma of a criminal record is one of the the most important and well-documented barriers to successful reentry and reintegration, impacting not just employment but also housing, education, and access to the safety net. Stigma is both formal-prohibitions encoded in laws or regulations-and informal-impacting how formerly incarcerated individuals are evaluated by employers, landlords, and others.
There is substantial evidence that relief from criminal record stigma leads to improved outcomes, especially with regard to employment. The stigma of a criminal record represents a formal sentence received from court, one that has long-term impacts.
Over 640,000 people return to our communities from prison each year. However, due to the lack of institutional support, statutorily imposed legal barriers, stigmas, and low wages, most prison sentences are for life-especially for residents of Black and Brown communities. More than half of the formerly incarcerated are unable to find stable employment within their first year of return and three-fourths of them are rearrested within three years of release.
Research has demonstrated that health, housing, skill development, mentorship, social networks, and the collaborative efforts of public and private organizations collectively improve the reentry experience.
After Maryam Henderson-Uloho was convicted of obstruction of justice, she was sentenced to 25 years in a Louisiana prison. Ultimately, she served 13 years—more than half of that time in solitary confinement. When she was released, she felt dehumanized. “You see, in prison, you’re broken—mentally, emotionally, and physically,” says Henderson-Uloho in the short documentary Sister Hearts. “I didn’t know what to do. I was alone. I was scared. I had no one.” An ex-felon, Henderson-Uloho was unable to open a bank account or a credit card. She couldn’t rent an apartment. Nobody would employ her. “I had to go inside myself and find something good about me,” she says. “I felt like trash … I needed help.” This is the incredible story of how she turned her life around—and continues to support other female ex-offenders.
State and federal prisons release approximately 650,000 inmates each year. Within the first year following their release, more than half of them are unable to find a career and earn enough legal income to survive. This study identifies some promising initiatives that help integrate former prisoners into society and that possibly contribute to bringing down the rate of recidivism.
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